Generally, illuminated furniture systems and decorative lanterns, such as those suitable for use in a home, are small sized and fully and permanently assembled. For example, decorative lanterns using glass panes are typically framed inside a fully welded metal enclosure.
One problem with fully-assembled furniture systems and lanterns is that larger items can become prohibitively expensive to ship over long distances. For example, while it would be desirable to manufacture an illuminated furniture system or lantern large enough to serve as both a lighting fixture and an end table, such a product would be very expensive to ship long distances (e.g., from overseas to the US) if it were fully assembled due to its relatively large shipping volume. Great savings in shipping costs could be achieved if the item could be shipped disassembled, and assembled by the retailer or end consumer.
There exists a need for an illuminated furniture system that can be shipped unassembled and put together easily by the retailer or end consumer.